<p>Bunsen–not trying to be argumentative, but I am not sure why you mean by still current. I mean, the first wedding was in 2008. We’re not talking the 70s. Dresses don’t last that long? The beading, ruching, etc question sincerely puzzles me.</p>
<p>Unless the dress has massive shoulder pads or is a flapper style a la the '20s-era Downton Abbey, I am sure it looks “current.” I have several fancy dresses from 2008—in fact I wore one to a “gala” event last weekend and got a lot of compliments on it. I have to admit that a few times I was tempted to say “this old thing??” in response.</p>
<p>Anyway, have you seen the clothes in the stores these days? I shudder at the '80s comeback…and not for the first time.</p>
<p>I’m not particularly into fashion but I could imagine there would be some changes in style in a six year period that could possibly make a dress seem out of date. We haven’t seen the OP’s dress so there’s no way to know how classic and timeless it may be (or not).</p>
<p>If I had one of Lady Mary’s dresses, from any era, and I fit into it, I’d totally wear it to a wedding. </p>
<p>I would not be able to distinguish a 2008 mother of the groom dress from a 2014 mother of the groom dress, and I doubt that very many other people would, either.</p>
<p>I have clothes in my closet that are 10 years old that I still wear. I tend to spend more on my clothes then a lot of people but I don’t buy a lot. A few pieces every year at the most. </p>
<p>I like shopping and I love beautiful dresses, but I would have no qualms about wearing a dress I bought for the wedding of child #1 to the wedding of child #2 if I couldn’t find something new that I liked better. I’d treat myself to new jewelry and other accessories though. If it was me, I’d be more likely to find a new dress; usually, it’s the shoes I have trouble finding.</p>
<p>People are funny. When my husband and I got married I told my bridesmaids the colors we were wearing (an antique, cream colored, lace dress with pink ribbon along the bottom and a double-breasted navy suit) and suggested they wear a dress (in whatever style they felt flattered them) that had one or more of those colors (preferably, a dress they already owned since we were all just finishing college and nobody had any money). I passed the info. on to our mothers too. Both dads showed up in navy suits. My dad wore a tie, but my FIL didn’t, although I know both he and my MIL consider themselves pretty fashionable and I knew he owned several suits and an array of ties. My mom wore a silk cream and navy dress that had touches of pink in the pattern. My MIL, on the other hand, wore a bright teal dress. If she wanted to stand out in the photos she couldn’t have chosen a better color, unless it was the flashy red dress she wore to my BIL’s black and white extremely formal wedding the year before. My SIL was furious and it was the subject of disagreement and hard feelings for quite a while. My MIL was in the habit of spending a few hundred dollars on a new formal dress for each wedding so I had no doubt that this dress was new and that she chose teal on purpose, but I didn’t care. I assumed she felt great in it and the thought that she might be competing with either my mom or me for attention was pretty sad. </p>
<p>My husband has several double-breasted suits and many ties, but no tuxedos. He doesn’t need suits for work, but he looks really nice in them. I wouldn’t buy a new suit for him to attend a wedding or graduation, but I’d probably buy a new dress shirt and socks, and maybe a new tie clasp and wing-tipped shoes too.</p>
<p>sevmom, yes–if it was super-trendy to begin with. But a classic style should last, and I would imagine the OP’s dress fit into that category. The dress I rewore last weekend was Calvin Klein–pretty timeless.</p>
<p>Hey, wait, hang on, this is the Internet and we can post links. What would an out-of-style mother of the groom dress from 2008 look like? Pictures, please. </p>
<p>My mother wore a beautiful dress to my wedding in 1978. When my son was going to get married I tried to help her shop for a grandmother of the groom dress and couldn’t find anything that made her happy so I suggested the one she wore to my wedding and she was so happy I did. She looked as beautiful in it as she did back then. If you’re buying dresses that look out of date six years later, you’re buying the wrong dresses.</p>
<p>This is exactly what I mean about the fashionistas forcing their opinions on others. Who in the world “says” whether something is dated, or whether some trim from 5 years ago just won’t do today? Women have been brainwashed by the fashion industry to believe this BS for the past dunno how many years, much to the benefit of the pocketbook of the fashion industry. And this business of remembering what everyone else wore in the past – how petty (and catty) can you get? It seems like a MYOB issue if I have ever heard one. I would not care one bit what some clothing maven at my kids’ weddings remembered or thought about what I had worn in the past. Sort of hope no one I would invite would be the type to care.</p>
<p>“I would not be able to distinguish a 2008 mother of the groom dress from a 2014 mother of the groom dress, and I doubt that very many other people would, either.”</p>
<p>I don’t think the age of the dress has anything to do with the OP’s question or people’s responses for the most part. </p>
<p>Hemlines do change - sometimes even from one year to the next but that is an easy fix regardless. </p>
<p>I put a dress on that I bought for my nieces shower in 2009 and thought about wearing to a wedding a few months ago. it was dreadfully long compared to what I would wear now. Even had a discussion about the dress on CC and everyone concurred dress should be shortened. So I wore LBD which comes above my knee. </p>
<p>Great question, teriwtt, about whether the OP has been back to this thread! But if not, it will not stop me from updating my opinion! </p>
<p>I think that there are groups in the US where someone in the OP’s situation would need to buy a new dress for a different wedding (e.g., for weddings that are described in elaborate detail in the New York Times, weddings of Kennedy relatives, or marrying someone listed in DeBrett’s). However, I think that if the OP belonged to such a group, she would already know that. Given the uncertainty (if you have to ask . . . ?), I think it is totally fine to go with the dress that has been worn once before.</p>
<p>"This is exactly what I mean about the fashionistas forcing their opinions on others. Who in the world “says” whether something is dated, or whether some trim from 5 years ago just won’t do today? Women have been brainwashed by the fashion industry to believe this BS for the past dunno how many years, much to the benefit of the pocketbook of the fashion industry. "</p>
<p>Well to be honest, I think someone who is into clothing / fashion / style could probably do a better job of picking a dress with classic, timeless lines that can be reworn than someone who is indifferent to clothing and rarely engages in the whole process. The latter person is more likely to pick something that doesn’t age well. </p>
<p>But as to “forcing” opinions on others - we all have things we care about. Some of us do care what we wear for special occasions. Consolation cares about chocolate :-). Some people care about wine. Or electronics. I even hear some people care a lot about colleges, imagine that. </p>
<p>Yes, but the point is that you are caring about what other people wear, not just what you wear. Several people have commented that they remember what everyone else wore, too. That is where it crosses the line into obnoxious, IMHO. You ARE forcing your opinions onto others if you remember and judge (which I think is going on here).</p>
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